Best Of
Re: Starting Chemo June 2025? Let's support each other here!
@alliec1068 :) Oh, wow, your experience w/the WBC shot sounds so much like mine!! As you said, the bone pain was REAL. I started to feel better midday Saturday, but as the day got later, I felt myself hit the wall again…I'd been taking Claritin around 6pm each day b/c that's what time it was when I first bought some, so I could feel it wear off, I guess? Like a hangover is a good way of putting it, too — I felt so lethargic and low energy and my face was more flushed the first two days after the shot.
I've got a naturopathic oncologist on my team, met with her today and shared about the WBC shot effects and she suggested I try skipping it this next round to see how I fare, as long as my counts are well enough to do so. Her exact words were, "It jacks everything up!"
I seem to have had what she called "a strong reaction on the first round, but delayed" — I started getting a red rash in my underarms and along the pubic line (sorry to be TMI :/ ) over the weekend and my mouth began to feel very fuzzy, tongue was white coated…so I've got oral thrush, too. :( They put me on liquid Nystatin, so hopefully that all clears up pronto!
I also have what looks like a 3-inch rug burn where the IV went in. It's red, irritated, burns/is painful and feels hard under the skin where the vein is. It feels like after one burns themself on a stove or something and the burn hurts for several days. Do you have a port? They had said I wouldn't need one and we could use my arm since it's 4 rounds, but now the nurse I spoke with when I called in said I may wind up needing a port. So I was feeling pretty cranky yesterday, but was able to attend a support group this evening that helped.
I didn't really have any nausea issues, either — I didn't take the Zofran, I had it filled and was going to, but was also taking a natural product called Boiron Nux Vomica (they're tiny pellets you put under the tongue) and drinking ginger juice in the morning and before bed. I drank 2 oz. straight ginger juice the morning of my infusion, too, and think it helped. I know my body takes a longer time to process medications out of my system, so I'm trying to limit how many prescription things I'm on at once — they sure don't make that easy, though! That stinks Zofran makes you drowsy — hopefully you can tweak it a bit next time to see if that helps. I'm going to acupuncture this Friday and want to book an appointment nearer my next infusion, that's so encouraging to hear that it helped you!
I feel you on that last one feeling far away right now. Yes to staying positive and trying to embrace the good days in this, and let myself rest on the other days! There's a full moon this Thursday, so I'm bracing for some big energy with that! 🌕️
Re: Didn't have a clean margin, go back in and re-excise?
Hello, diagnosed with IDC triple positive grade 3 breast cancer 1/8/25, and I had surgery 6/9 dmx with sentinel lymph node bx. My pathology report showed positive margin and poor chemotherapy response. I am scheduled for a re-excision and axillary lymph node dissection. My radiologist told me during my consultation that it isn’t necessary to do the ALD since I will be getting radiation therapy and it’s one surgery I can avoid. However, my surgeon along with the tumor board suggests otherwise. Any input or advice on what would be the best approach ALD or no ALD? Thank you 😊
Re: Chemo starting March 2019
I always made a frosty smoothie and brought that to sip on (for mouth cooling, to prevent sores) and some healthy snacks. It always made me shake my head when I saw the snacks my center provided-- total carb and sugar crap-- so I brought veggies, salad, almonds.
One other thing to bring is a heating pad which you can drape on your breast. That brings the chemo to the warm area where it belongs!
I always preferred to drive myself to chemo and space out, noodle on my laptop, or read rather than talk to a companion.
Re being scared, try to think of the chemo as your friend. Seriously-- welcome it. It is coming in to clean out the disease in your body. I liked to visualize it as sunlight entering my body and getting rid of the shadows. I think that visualization can be powerful. I also visualized a sort of "pac man" action of my immune cells eating my cancer. Finally, I asked my cancer to be willing to die for our mutual benefit (otherwise, eventually, we'd both die!).
